For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world— our faith. 1 John 5:4
Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Romans 8:37
aybe you’ve had a setback in your life recently. You’ve ended up thinking to yourself, “I feel so defeated and useless—I’m nothing but a loser.” Those negative thoughts have become a controlling pattern in your life. You don’t step out in service to your Lord and Savior anymore—maybe it’s fear of failure—maybe it’s fear of criticism—whatever the reason you’ve become a non-functioning, silent, dormant Christian. Scripture says that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you…(2 Thessalonians 1:12). You can’t do that when you are discouraged and dormant, not functioning for His glory. In Matthew 5:16 Jesus instructed Christians to “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” But now, defeated, you’ve put your lamp…under a basket. The evil one delights that you have believed the lie he has planted in your mind. What is the solution to your feelings of defeatism? Well, we have to go back to the Bible and get you thinking biblically again so you can dispel those negative thoughts that have hampered your spiritual life. Start out by reading 1 John 5:4 at the beginning of this article. Did you notice that you are an overcomer, not a loser? That came about when you trusted Jesus Christ to be your Savior—the Apostle John points that out to you in the very next verse: Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? (1 John 5:5) The person who has only been born once is born a loser, but when you were born again through faith in Jesus Christ, you were born a winner. In Christ you have overcome the world, that system controlled by Satan that exalts itself against the Lord Jesus Christ and those who belong to Him (1 John 5:19). In John 16:33 your Lord and Savior said, “…but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” He has overcome the world, and in Him you can as well. In Romans 8:35 Paul asked the question, Who (or what) shall separate us from the love of Christ…. Then the apostle listed a number of possibilities that might cause defeat in the life of a Christian—tribulation, or distress (trials and difficulties, hard to take and perplexing); persecution (mockings, scornings, snubbings); and, famine (suffering want in the area of basic necessities). In the next verse Paul quoted from Psalm 44:22 and he compared Christians with sheep in a slaughterhouse—seemingly ready to perish at any moment. But then he uttered the triumphant words of verse 37 quoted at the head of this article. He assured his readers that none of the things mentioned immediately above could defeat a Christian, for Paul wrote that in all these things you are more than conquerors through Christ who loved you. You will not lose, you will not be defeated. In fact the word conqueror in the original language should be more accurately translated super-conqueror or conquer-overwhelmingly. Let’s look at the example of the Apostle Paul’s life. He suffered many hardships and setbacks (see 2 Corinthians 11:23ff). Yet he could say the following words confidently:
Therefore
we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is
perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by
day. Paul did not see defeat in his difficulties—instead he saw victory because he believed that he was more than a conqueror through Christ who loved him. Rid yourself of those feelings of defeat. Instead, in Christ, see yourself as an overcomer, a conqueror, and a victor in all these things. Rejoice in the knowledge that in Christ you will have victory over even the last enemy…death (1 Corinthians 15:26). We know that because at the end of the powerful chapter that focuses on your future bodily resurrection, Paul wrote these words: But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:57) In Christ…God…always leads us in triumph (2 Corinthians 2:14). Think victory, not defeat. Think winner, not loser. (12/11/05) |
